Banned owner appears ready to challenge NBA

The NBA is not going to rid itself of Donald Sterling, his weird mistress and this monumental mess that easily.

Kicking him out of the league is one thing; forcing him to sell his L.A. Clippers is another.

"You can't force someone to sell property in America," Sterling said.

Sterling is saying this in yet another recorded phone conversation, according to Radar Online.

It is clearly Sterling's voice as he defiantly asks an unidentified friend (who knew he had any?),"You think I'm a racist? You think I have anything in the world but love for everybody? You don't think that! You know I'm not a racist."

The Sterling stain is going to be sticking to the NBA for a while – perhaps YEARS.

Sterling, 81, is an attorney who loves litigation the way Blake Griffin loves to dunk. Then there is his estranged wife, Shelly.

She has denied being a racist, and has not been excommunicated by the NBA like her husband. Shelly wants to keep the Clippers "in the family," calling herself a co-owner.

The league might not be able to push a sale of the Clippers until the Sterlings divorce. They've stayed married for years to avoid splitting up a billion-dollar fortune. Remember the Frank and Jamie McCourt fight over the L.A. Dodgers?

The McCourts bought the Dodgers in 2004, and started divorce proceedings in 2009. It took two years of bitter legal battles before Jamie McCourt relinquished her claim of the Dodgers. Frank McCourt later sold the team in 2012 for $2 billion to a group led, coincidentally, by Magic Johnson.

Sterling told Stiviano in the TMZ tape that he didn't want her posing for Instagram photos with the beloved Johnson or "bringing black people" to Clippers games.

His racist rant forced NBA commissioner Adam Silver to ban Sterling from the league for life and evoke Article 13 (d) of the league constitution, which states an owner can lose a team if he fails or refuses to "fulfill its contractual obligations …in such a way as to affect the Association or its Members adversely."

Sterling and other owners have signed documents agreeing to the procedure covering ethical conduct. Basically, the NBA would run the Clippers the way they took over the New Orleans Hornets after buying the team from cash-strapped George Shinn in 2010.

The NBA would conduct the sale, but Silver, also an attorney, better be prepared to lawyer up.

Sterling could sue the league after fellow owners, presumably, vote him out and delay any decision.

He could claim that the action violates antitrust laws – the NBA conspiring to force him to sell at a below-market value. He could attempt to offer evidence of collusion between Silver and owners.

The bottom line: This could take a while.

Clippers players threatened not to play after Sterling's private views on race went public. With emotions running high, Doc Rivers said he didn't know if he could return as coach with Sterling as the owner.

Hopefully, Silver has informed coaches and players that no protests or boycotts will speed up what could be a long, long fight in separating Sterling from the Clippers.

Stan's plans

Former Magic coach Stan Van Gundy has been offered another job: The Seminole Senior Softball league has an opening for a coach.

"Does it have good management to work with?" Van Gundy, 54, joked after I passed on the offer.

The Golden State Warriors have been in touch with Stan about being a candidate to replace MarkJackson as coach.

Stan is torn: On one hand, his wife and family have never been happier with him home after stints in Miami and Orlando. He also would have to feel ready to jump back into the 24/7 grind.

On the other hand, Stan's a coach. It's in his DNA. It's who the Van Gundys are – including his father, Bill, to his brother, Jeff.

Great opportunities like Golden State don't often come along. There are talented players and the weather's good, and Van Gundy grew up in the Bay area.

If he wanted to give the NBA perhaps one last whirl, the Warriors' job sounds too good to pass up.

Snake eyes

On a related Donald Sterling item, a snake was found in the Portland Trail Blazers' dressing room at AT&T Center in San Antonio before Game 2, freaking out several players.

Wildlife has been spotted before at the Spurs' arena, which hosts an annual rodeo each season. Spurs SF Manu Ginobili swatted a bat out of the air once during a game in 2009 – on Halloween night.

This 'n' That

Local actress and stand-up comedian Carol Adubato, wife of Magic radio color analyst Richie Adubato, appears in the play, "No Place Like Home," opening May15 at 8:30 p.m. at the Orlando Repertory Theatre, part of the Orlando Fringe Festival… The Milwaukee Bucks are embracing last season's 15-67 record. They have sent select fans custom-branded ping-pong balls with a card that reads, "OWN THE FUTURE. WIN THE LOTTERY." They also are asking fans to send in photos of their good-luck charms. The winner of the contest receives two season-tickets, although that sounds like punishment… When Jimmy Kimmel asked Kobe Bryant about watching the Lakers this past season, Bryant said, "I'd rather eat paint chips."